‘Under The Scares‘ offers an inside look into the production and promotion of an independent, ultra low-budget horror film, while combining interviews and insights from some of the genre’s biggest legends – Lloyd Kaufman, Robert Kurtzman, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Frank Henenlotter, Gary Jones, and many many more.
Steve Villeneuve is a Canadian national and filmmaker based in Montreal who set out to document the topsy-turvy world of independent cinema production. If that weren’t hard enough, he chose to use as the film’s pivot point the genre of fear—horror(!). The resulting documentary, ‘Under The Scares,’ is a long-form (1 hour 50 mins) crystal ball into the process of moviemaking that just happens to focus on horror. But we’re delighted that it is. And so will you.
The documentary primarily aims at understanding the process involved in the making of a low-budget independent horror film and this odd industry. Many aspects are discussed by the numerous horror personalities interviewed: new video technologies and the impact it has on the marketplace; how inexperience often results in a loss of 90% of the funds invested; the need for discovering a good story; the actor’s point of view, among others. The film’s tagline sums up it best: “Revealing the blood and bones of the horror indies.”
With ‘Under The Scares,’ Steve Villeneuve has not only made a fantastic debut in the documentary sector, he has also provided a frank statement about the horror film industry and also made a substantial contribution to its documentation—a genre that is not often taken seriously in terms of scholarship.
Best of all, he gets the stories right from the sources best qualified to provide testimonials on the subject matter. And the industry warts are not hidden or glossed over: the good, bad and ugly get equal billing, making the documentary an engaging treat for the avid horror wonk (Joey) or the elitist cinephile who had not previously considered the genre worth their Grey Poupon (Brad).
Some of the taking heads featured in the film include: H.G. Lewis, Debbie Rochon, Lloyd Kaufman, George Romero, Suzi Lorraine, and Frank Henenlotter, just to name a few. Are you excited yet? We are!
THE FINAL WORD: If you’re an emerging horrorphile looking to gain added knowledge about how the horror filmmaking industry works – or if you’re simply a maggoty fan of the genre – you don’t want to miss this documentary! — LATIN HORROR
Kudos to Villeneuve…
For more info, visit the film’s official website: underthescares.com
And become a friend of the filmmakers at Facebook.
Comments